


Stay clear of that Mika girl

by HogwartsToAlexandria



Series: RWG Bingo Challenge 2018 [1]
Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: "Innocence", "Someone is ill", Alexandria Safe-Zone, Established Relationship, Family Fluff, M/M, Mesmerized!Rick, Papa!Daryl, Rickyl Writers' Group Bingo 2018, Sick baby, middle of the night
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-09
Updated: 2018-05-09
Packaged: 2019-05-04 10:33:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,213
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14591136
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HogwartsToAlexandria/pseuds/HogwartsToAlexandria
Summary: "When Rick woke up in his Alexandrian bed the room around him was still pitch black and as he rolled over to pass an arm around his lover's body all he found was the cold and empty space.(...)"Or when Judith is ill and it leads to some sweet demonstrations of Papa!Daryl awesomeness.Written for the Rickyl Writer's Group Bingo Challenge 2018 with the prompt "Someone is ill".





	Stay clear of that Mika girl

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first ever work published here, it's quite short but I do hope it is nice enough and that I did Rickyl justice.  
> This is also my first work for the RWG Bingo of 2018 and I must say, this is an amazing idea so thanks to all who organized it and I hope you like what you read. Drop a comment if you'd like, it would be my pleasure to answer them !  
> Enough talking for now, see y'all !

When Rick woke up in his Alexandrian bed the room around him was still pitch black and as he rolled over to pass an arm around his lover's body all he found was the cold and empty space. He frowned, his eyes still heavy-lidded with sleep painted all over his face and the marks his pillow had left on his left cheek. Slowly, he pealed the covers away from his body and got out of the bed going looking for Daryl without thinking more.

He pushed the door opened and found the second floor of the house, where their bedroom was, completely dark and silent so he went for the stairs and got down carefully. The only light guiding him was that of a small lamp from the living-room so he followed it and as soon as he could catch a glimpse of the room his face melted in a tender smile.

Sure enough, Daryl was there, his head resting on the back of the couch, asleep. In his arms was an equally asleep Judith cradled gently on his lap, resting fully on the hunter's torso with her head on his broad shoulder and one hand fisted in the fabric of his tee-shirt while the other had found refuge in the long strands of his hair. Both were snoring softly and Rick couldn't resist approaching and settling on the couch next to them.

Even though he tried and walked as quietly as he could Daryl stirred and opened his eyes in a heartbeat looking at Rick through his bangs. “I didn't want to wake you, sorry” Rick whispered in a fond smile.

“Told ya already Rick, doesn't matter how hard you try, you just ain't capable of walking silent” the other man answered, smirking.

“How come you're both down here?” Rick asked deliberately letting the comment slide.

“How come ? Well, I'm gonna tell ya how come, I told ya not ta let ma baby so near that Mika girl, when she's so full o'snot she could burst, you didn't listen and now here ya go, that's how.” Daryl muttered half-glaring at Rick but the corner of his mouth twitched and gave away the smile he was fighting and immediately regretted playing angry when he saw Rick's eyes widening and a look of worry settle on his forehead.

“She's sick ?” he asked, his voice equally worried. “Now look it's not a big deal Rick I didn't mean to get you all concerned it's nothing much, I woke up 'cause she was crying and she had some kinda fever but she's better now, sleep's good for her alright ?” he explained trying to sooth away the troubled wrinkles at the corners of his lover's eyes. “You sure ?” he asked, and when Daryl nodded he let out a little puff of breath, a bit relieved if still anxious.

“Now come, gonna get her back in bed and we'll see about it in the morning.” Daryl said gently starting to gather the toddler and get up on his feet doing just as he said.

Once Judith was back to her bedroom, Daryl joined Rick back in theirs and stretched a little then turned towards his lover who was biting his nails, no less.

Daryl smiled at him, one of those small-uncatchable-if-you-don't-know-him-fond smiles. Rick was seated on the very edge of Daryl's side of the bed and looked up at him when he approached putting a soothing hand on the man's shoulder and crouching in front of him.

“Look, I'm worried too but there's nothing else we can do right now so we'll just let her enjoy what sleep she gets and then take her to Denise in the morning. It's gonna be alright ok ?”. When Rick nodded but didn't answer Daryl moved the hand he still had on his shoulder, cupped his lover's jaw gently and rose a little so he could kiss him, slow and tender. Rick tugged on the fabric of Daryl's tee-shirt, looked up and let his gaze sink in the blue of his partner's eyes.

“You've got no idea how much I appreciate everything you do for her...” Rick said and before the other man could answer he kissed him again his hands moving to Daryl's hips to pull him onto his lap and then parted again, talking against his lips : “don't you dare downplay it, you're wonderful with her, you take care of her better than I ever could, she loves you so much...”. Daryl had closed his eyes listening to Rick talk, their foreheads connected, and when he opened them again Rick could see just how affected he was by his words.

“I didn't do nothing special.” he muttered. “Oh but you did, you always do.” Rick answered smiling and when he saw his lover frown, visibly uncomfortable he decided he would let it go for now, knowing too well how hard it was for Daryl to take a compliment and accept that it was sincere.

Even now, after a year and a half of a relationship they had both been craving for even way longer than that, even after Rick had said those things time and time again, Daryl still fought it, his inner voice telling him it was all too good to be true, too good for it to be for him. And Rick knew, he simply knew what was happening in his head as it seems he always did, always understood Daryl's interior battles without him having to spell them out for his partner. So, Rick let it go for now, hoping the words would somehow sink deeper in Daryl this time and if not, he was more than willing to keep reminding him of how great a father he was to Rick's children, more than willing to keep telling him just how downright perfect and indispensable he was and always would be.

For now, he settled for wrapping his arms around his partner's broad shoulders and drawing him in for a hug, sighing happily when he felt Daryl nuzzle in the crook of his neck and holding him even tighter if that was a thing. After a while he leaned back until his back lay on the bed, Daryl straddling him and kissed his temple, happy. Daryl leaned in to kiss him tenderly and then rolled off him and maneuvered so that they were both laying on their sides the right way on the bed and once again let their eyes meet and sink together, sleep already beginning to take them back.

One of Daryl's hands was tracing abstract patterns along the line of the former cop's body and that alone was so soothing he could have fell right over the edge if he wasn't so mesmerized by the vision that was the other man as his other hand was tucked under his head in a way that made his bicep bulge almost obscenely, his hair scattered about his face and his eyelids fluttering closed.

After watching him sleeping for a while Rick took the hand that had fallen off his body, closed his eyes and as he let Morpheus take him he whispered “I wish you knew how much she loves her Papa.”, little did he see the tiniest of smiles dancing along his lover's lips though.

**Author's Note:**

> Also find me on [Tumblr](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/hogwartstoalexandria)


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